Let's Go Fishing!
Inshore Fishing Charters
Depending on the tide and time of year, Capt. Mike likes to leave the marina or boat dock around 7 AM. If you want to learn about catching bait let him know ahead of time and for the first 30 minutes or so, Capt. Mike will show you a few tricks of the trade. Otherwise, in most cases Capt. Mike should be waiting at the dock with bait ready to go.
You will predominately be fishing shallow water flats, backcountry creeks and mangrove shorelines, which mean the water, will be less than 6 foot typically. Additionally you will always be within the sight of land, so there should be no worry about sea sickness. The mangrove shorelines, coves, creeks, docks and houses up and down the West and Southwest Coast of Florida all provide cover from most of the wind threats, so there are plenty of places to fish out of the elements.
It will take Capt. Mike a few minutes to arrive at your fishing destination depending on whether Redfish, Snook, Trout, Tarpon, Sheepshead, etc. is biting. If you want to specifically target an individual fish like a Tarpon, Redfish, Snook, Trout, Grouper or Permit, it may take Capt. Mike a little longer to arrive at your fishing destination. So please let him know ahead of time if you are on a mission for anything particular. Otherwise, Capt. Mike will target what is biting which should provide you with a great fun-filled fishing day!
For parties of 4 or less Capt. Mike furnishes rods, tackle, bait, fishing licenses and permits. No need to worry about last minute excursions to renew or get your out of state fishing license. If you have a party of more than 4, please be sure to let us know at the time of booking as some additional supplies may be needed.
You'll want to make sure you arrive with sunscreen, sun glasses, a hat and a camera. Capt. Mike strongly encourages catch and release so check your camera batteries too! You don’t want to miss that potential hooked Tarpon jumping out of the water on camera. Also this is Florida, so there is always a chance for rain-showers but most of the time they move through pretty quick. Either way throwing a rain coat or parka in your carry on might be a good idea.
Rain or shine, you will have a great day on the water because a day of fishing is always better than the alternative.
Tarpon Fishing Charters
You will be fishing around bridges, islands, beaches and open water for the elusive Silver Kings! The difference between Tarpon fishing and a normal Inshore Fishing Charter predominately will be the depth of the water. Capt. Mike will target areas that range between 15 and 35 feet, however the need to go deeper is always a possibility. The thing to remember with this type of fishing is the current, wind and other boat traffic will be more prevalent. So be prepared for potentially choppy water. You still will be within the sight of land at all times and most of the time within a few hundred yards of it. So again don’t worry about sea sickness if that had been your ailment in the past.
Egmont Key, Egmont Channel, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and the world famous Boca Grande Pass provide the best Tarpon Fishing in the world and Capt. Mike knows it best. Tarpon range from 35lbs to over 200lbs and provide some of the most acrobatic aerial shows of all game fish. They also can be pretty stubborn and in some cases you might be reeling in a Tarpon for more than and hour or two! But Capt. Mike guarantees that it will be a time you will never forget, so call Capt. Mike and go Tarpon fishing!
Offshore Fishing Charters
Capt. Mike likes to start a little earlier on an Offshore Charter, most of the time you will be leaving the dock between 5am – 6am. This all depends on the fish run of Sailfish, Dolphin, Kingfish, Tuna, Wahoo and more that Capt. Mike intends to target. Capt Mike is always on top of the latest information and networks with many of the top anglers and captains all over the State of Florida. So we know if the fish are running and Capt Mike isn’t afraid to chase them.
On the East coast of Florida you don’t have to travel very far offshore to reach productive fishing grounds, however on the west coast of Florida it will take you longer to arrive at your fishing destination. So depending on your city of origin the departure times from the dock will vary.
Also with Offshore fishing you will be fishing open water, which means there will be times that you loose site of land. However, all of Capt. Mike’s vessels are equipped with top of the line navigation equipment and all USCG required safety equipment.
A few things to take note of:
Capt. Mike carries bottled water for drinking and there is a small cooler and ice already on the boat. Since space is limited, please do not plan on bringing your cooler on board unless it is small. However, you might want to bring a cooler to leave in your car if you plan to harvest your catch.
Please do not bring any bottles of any kind or wear black soled shoes. If alcoholic beverages are your cup of tea it must be in can form. Additionally, there is a two (2) alcohol drink limit per person, no exceptions. You are here to have a good time and most importantly a good time that you can remember for years to come.
If you prefer using artificial lures like plastic jigs, spoons, plugs, etc., you are welcome to bring your favorite lures with/or without your own rods and reels. Capt. Mike only suggests that you spool your reel with a 15 to 20 lbs test braided line prior to the trip as we often fish near structures.
While Capt. Mike strongly encourages catch and release, if you must harvest your fish be aware that there are very tight slot limits, day limits and many months of closed seasons for almost all of the fish we will be targeting. Please also note that Capt. Mike does not qualify as a "person" under the "one per person" limit.